If you have ever come across my Instagram (btw I am on it 24*7) , you might draw the conclusion that I am a total water baby. Which means, I am a summer person. Which in turn implies that winters are not my cup of tea (or coffee rather). Growing up in Mathura, the winters were cold. And then the rest of my life in Delhi and Noida, the winters are not freezing in any way but uncomfortable to the core. The early winter month of November arrives with the dreaded annual apocalyptic smog screen to proceed with a bout of thankful rains which wash away all the grime and this starts the precipitation of a bitter chill.

For the past decade, the Delhi winters have taken a predictable pattern: the temperatures take a steep dip during the last week of December and the dip persists till the end of January. Unlike the early years when winters used to come knocking during November itself. Since we don't have fully heated homes (most of us don't), it's uncomfortable at home too. Long story short, me and winters don't get along. I look way fatter under layers and have yet to ace the winter fashion game; which looks chic yet doesn't make me sick. Therefore when it comes to travelling, I am always leaning towards tropical destinations or the upper Northern hemisphere entices me only during summers.

The first time and only time I ever experienced an early winter experience in Europe was in 2018. It was our babymoon and we visited in October (technically fall) but it was freezing enough for us. The coldest we experienced was in Gmunden, a small village in Austria, where it was 2 degree celsius in the morning. Since I was 5 months pregnant, I wasn't feeling cold at all (thankfully) but the icy breeze blew our senses off!

Gmunden is situated by a vast lake Traunsee and its crystal clear blue water is as calming as you can imagine. The Traunsee freezes in the month of January, which is quite challenging to visualise because it's so vast! But before that happens, there is a yacht club and you can take a yacht and sail around (pretty expensive) or just stare into the lake and breathe in all the calmness (like us).

The most surprising thing about the morning was that everything and everyone was up and running by 8 in the morning. The banks and offices start functioning as early as 7 30 AM. So of course the farmer's market was in full bustling mode and people were buying breads for breakfast as well as farm fresh fruits and vegetables. 

One major feature that I noticed first hand (I have always seen in movies nevertheless) is the ferocious velocity of the icy breeze. So the winter is far more uncomfortable outside, unless you are dressed for the ocassion. However, unlike Delhi, the sky was so magnificently blue and the  cold blister inducing breeze had something so refreshing in it, that it made me feel alive all over again!

So I have concluded that I plan to visit the "cold weather" countries in the thick of winters, to experience the authentic affair. The main downside? The number of daylight hours would be too less and that means less photography and filming (which is a major bummer). Also, the luggage gets too heavy because of the bulky coats. I am not that person who would spend the entire vacation in a single teddy coat (fashion blogger problems) and that has prevented the husband from booking any cold country trips as he's intensely sceptical of dragging my coat laden luggage 😂

So here are my top destinations:

1. Iceland (duh! The frozen "waterfalls" and Aurora Borealis)

2. Russia (especially Siberia)

3. Finland (Lapland for Santa's village)

4. New Zealand 

5. Switzerland (still not done because we haven't been able to fit winter break and its itinerary)

So guys tell me what's your favourite thing about winters? (Whether you like it or not 😁) And which destination is on the top of your list to visit in the cold?❄️❄️